Manika powers IOCL to title

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, February 7

Manika Batra blanked Yashini Sivashankar before taming Prapti Sen to help IOCL beat HPCL 3-2 and clinch women’s team title in the PSPB Inter-Unit Table Tennis Tournament at the Sector 23 TT Hall here on Thursday.  

Manika registered a 13-11 11-5 11-6 win over Yashini after IOCL’s Archana Kamath had succumbed to HPCL’s Prapti Sen in the opening match. Archana lost 8-11 6-11 11-6 7-11.  

HPCL, though, regained the lead when Poymantee Baisya overcame Reeth Rishya 9-11 11-6 14-12 11-8. Manika once again came to IOCL’s rescue, beating Prapti 11-4 11-2 12-10 in the reverse singles tie to restore the parity.     

In the decider, Archana held her nerve to beat Yashini 11-8 11-5 11-8 and help IOCL clinch the title.   

ONGC men triumph

Meanwhile, it was an anti-climax in the men’s team finals as veteran Sharath Kamal-led IOCL bowed to ONGC without offering any resistance. 

Sharath put a brave front in the opening game against ONGC’s Harmeet Desai, but Manav Thakkar and Sudhanshu Grover were no match to G Sathyan and Anthony Amalraj.    

Desai raced to a 2-0 lead with 11-9 11-5 win the first two games, but Sharath fought his way back to restore the parity, clinching the next two games 11-5 13-11. Desai, though, kept his calm and wrapped up the decider 11-4 to put ONGC in front.

Sathyan tamed Thakkar 11-8 11-5 11-7 before Amalraj blanked Grover 11-9 11-7 18-16 to guide ONGC to the title.